Electric lighting system



NOV. 3, 1936. E HEYMANN ET AL 2,059,350

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed May 7, 1952 @e 7th 7 5'.

Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM Edward Heymann and Frank W. Heymann, Boston, Mass.-

Application May 7, 1932, Serial No.'609,973

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric lighting system for motor vehicles and the like equipped with illuminating devices in the form of headlights and tail-light, and has for its object to provide such a lighting system with means for indicating interruption in the services of one or more of said illuminating devices.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention an electro-magnet or relay having coils or windings responsive to different strengths of current is included in circuit with thelamps of the head and tail lights, and saidmagnet or relay is provided with an armature, which controls the operation of an indicating device, preferably a; small electric lamp capable of being mounted upon the dash-board of the motor vehicle, and which when lighted indicates that the lighting system of the vehicle has been interruptedeither at the headlight or at the tail-light or at both.

The invention further has for its object to provide a novel construction of relay for use in the lighting system.

These and other featuresof this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a lighting system embodying this invention;

Fig. 2, a front elevation of the electromagnet or relay shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a side elevation of the electromagnet, and

Fig. 4, a rear elevation of the base on which the electromagnet is mounted.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1, l0, l2 represent the headlights of amotor vehicle, and I3, the tail-light thereof. These parts are and may be such as are now commonly used on motor vehicles.

In the electric lighting system now commonly used on motor vehicles, no provision is made, so far as we are aware-for notifying the operator of the motor vehicle when the tail-light l3 or either or both of the headlights l0, I2 is not working, and-in some localities it is against the law or regulations to operate a motor vehicle unthe other coil I6 is of relatively fine wire with more turns. The coil I6 is connected in circuit with the tail-light l3, and the coil I5 is connected in circuit with the headlights I0, I2. The coils l5,v I6 as shown are wound upon a common core l8 having at its lower end a pole piece I9 (see Figs. 2 and 3), to which is pivoted one end of an armature 20 having its opposite or free end cooperating with the pole piece 2|, fastened to theupper end of the core l8 and as shown in Fig. 2 arranged to pass under the pole piece 2| when the electromagnet is energized. The armature 20 co-operates with'a back stop in the form of a screw 22, carried bya metal post 23 secured to a base 24 of insulating material upon which the electromagnet l4 is'mounted, for which purpose, a brass bracket 25 is fastened to the insulating base 24 and is provided with an arm 26 to which the electromagnet is secured.

The post 23 has connected to it one end of the coarse winding or coil IS, the other end of which is connected with a binding post 28 to which is connected a wire 30 in circuit with the headlights I0, I 2, the source of power represented in Fig. 1 .as a battery 3|, and a switch 32 having a movable contact member 33, which co-operates with a terminal member 34 connected by wire, 35 with a binding post 36 amxed to the post 23 (see Fig. 4)

It will thus be seen that a circuit through the headlights Ill, I2 is completed under normal conditions when the switch 32 has its movable mem- -ber 33 engaged with the contact or terminal member 34.

The movable member 33 of the switch 32 also co-operates with a contact or terminal'member 40, which is connected by wire 4| with a binding post 42 on the base 24, and one end of the fine winding or coil l6 is'connected to the binding post 42 and the other end to a like binding post 43 on the base 24. g

The binding post 43 is connected by wire 44 with the tail-light I3 and the latter is connected by wire 45 with the battery 3|. It will thus be seen that when the movable contact member 33 of the switch 32 is engaged with the terminal or contact member 40, a circuit is completed through the tail-light under normal conditions.

At such time the electromagnet is energized and its armature 20 is attracted as represented in Fig. 1. If the tail-light l3 or either of the headlights ill, I 2 should become extinguished, as by burning out, it is desirable that the operator of the motor vehicle should be notified of this condition. To this end, an indicating device is placed under control of the electromagnet. It may be preferred to make such indicating device in the form of a small electric lamp 50, which 20 is moved to close the circuit in which the lamp 50 is located.

This movement of the armature 20 may be effected by a relatively light spring 52, if the .armature is vertically arranged as represented in Fig. l, or the movement of the armature may be effected by gravity alone or assisted by the spring 52 if the electromagnet is positioned so as to permit its armature to be moved by gravity into its closed position, that is into a position in which it closes the circuit of the lamp 50. In the present instance, the lamp 50 is connected by wire 53 with a binding post which is screwed into the bracket 25 which supports the electromagnet, and the lamp 50 is also connected by wire 65 with the wire 45 leading to the battery 3|.

In practice, the winding or coil IS in circuit with the headlights l0, l2, and the winding IS in circuit withthe tail-light l3 are proportioned so as to require a combined current of two andone-half amperes in order to magnetize the magnet and attract the armature under normal conditions of use, and this proportion of current strength may be two amperes for the current flowing through the headlights and one-half ampere for the current flowing through the taillight.

Under normal conditions, of use, the switch 3 2v is moved to close the circuit of the headlights I0, I 2 and of the tail-light l3, as represented in Fig. 1. As long as the headlights and tail-light remain in operative condition, the circuit of the indicating lamp 50 is open at the armature 20, and the lamp 50 is not lighted. when the tail-light l3 or either of the headlights is burnt out, the circuit of the indicating lamp 50 is lighted by its circuit being closed by the armature 20, and the operator of the vehicle is thus notified that a defect exists in the circuit of the tail-light or of the headlights.

If the tail-light [3 should be burnt out then the current flowing through the coils of the electromagnet would be diminished by one-half ampere, leaving only the two-ampere current flowing through the headlights remaining active, but such amperage is not suflicient to attract the armature so. as to maintain the indicating lamp inactive, and as a result the armature is closed and the indicating lamp indicates that the taillight l3 has been burnt out.

On the other hand if the current of two amperes flowing through the headlights is diminished, then the strength of the current flowing through one of the headlights, if it should remain intact, plus the strength oi. the current flowing through the tail-light would be diminished by the strength of the current normally flowing through one of the headlights, by reason of the-fact that such headlight has been burnt out. then this diminished current plus the amount flowing through the tail-light is below that necesry toattract the armature into its operative position; shown' in Fig. 1, and as a result under conditions thearmature is moved by the aotaato spring into its retracted position, wherein it closes the circuit of the indicating lamp Bil.

It will thus be seen that when the headlights and the tail-light are intact and in operative condition, the relay or electromagnet is energized by a current strength sufiicient to move the armature so as to open the circuit of the indicating lamp 511. When, however, the strength of the current is diminished either by the loss of one-half ampere flowing through the taillight or the loss of two amperes flowing through either of the headlights, then the current strength of the magnet is not suiiicient to maintain the circuit of the indicating lamp 50 open and the latter circuit will be closed by the retraction of the armature.

It may be preferred to make the indicating device controlled by the relay in the form of an electric lamp, but it is not desired to limit the invention to this particular form of indicating device.

It may also be preferred to employ an electromagnet or relay having two coils l5, l6, wound upon a single core. but it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect. as the coils mar be wound upon separate cores.

What is claimed is:

1. In a motor vehicle lighting system, in combination, a source of current, circuit means connected to said source and including a headlight branch circuit for the vehicle headlights and a tail-light branch circuit for the tail-light, said circuit means also including selective switch means for energizing both said branch circuits or either one of said branch circuits only, an electromagnet coil in said headlight branch circuit and responsive to the current intensity flowing through the headlights only, an electromagnet coil in said tail-light branch circuit and responsive to the current intensity flowing through the tail-light only, armature means for said coils attracted thereby into a first position while currents of predetermined intensities are flowing in said individual branch circuits and returned to a second position when the current in at least one branch circuit drops below said predetermined intensity therefor, a circuit breaker actuated by said armature means when so attracted, a signal lamp, and a signal branch circuit also connected for supply from said source and extending through said circuit breaker and signal lamp so that the signal lamp is lighted when the current flowing in either the headlight or tail-light branch circuit drops below said predetermined intensity.

2. In a motor vehicle lighting system, in combination, a source of current, circuit means connected to said source and including a headlight branch circuit for the vehicle headlights and a tail-light branch circuit for the tail-light, said circuit means also including a selective energy means for energizing both said branch circuits or one vof said branch circuits only, an electromagnet coil having a coarse winding of few turns and connected in series in the headlight branch portion of said circuit means and responsive to the current intensity flowing through the headlights only, an electromagnet coil having a greater number of turns and connected in series in said tail-light branch portion of the circuit means and responsive to the intensity of the current intensities are flowing in each of said individual 76 nooo sso branch circuits and reted to s second position when the current in st'least one branch drops below said predetermined intensity therefor, said coils being constructed and arranged for response to said current intensities by releasing said armature when said tail-light branch circult is interrupted and also to release said armature when said headlight branch circuit is interrupted as a whole or when it is interrupted at one of the headlights, and signal means controlled by said armature for selective indications in'said first and second positions.

EDWARD HEYMANN; 

